Forged Memories
by CaptainGlenmore
Summary: Forged Memories is a collection of one shots revolving around Varian Wrynn and Valerica Glenmore's lives. These are scenes that don't fit anywhere into my narrative but i wanted to share anyway, so enjoy.


Disclaimer: Arthas Menethil, Varian Wrynn, Tiffin Ellerian and all recognisable characters belong to Blizzard Entertainment. The character of Valerica Glenmore is my own creation and is not to be shared, sold or copied without my express permission.

!. Mother knows best

"Mother, how old were you when father proposed?" Taria Wrynn had to admit she hadn't been expecting such an out of the blue question from her son, and it stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked up from the clematis stem that she had begun weaving into the trellis climbing up the wall of Stormwind Keep's vast grounds and brushing her hands off.

"Why do you suddenly want to know?" An eighteen year old Varian hugged his knees to keep his balance on the low wall he was sitting on, looking uncharacteristically coy. "I don't know, I just do I suppose." His mother's amused suspicion only made it worse, with his chin length hair falling forward as his head lowered. "Well, it took a while for your father to pluck up the courage- if it wasn't for Anduin I doubt he would've done It at all."

She sat by his feet, brushing his hair back and finding quite the surprising blush creeping over his cheeks. "That doesn't answer my question." He seemed rather insistent about it, giving Taria no choice but to try to word this right. "Seventeen. There, does that answer your question enough?" He looked rather crestfallen and she had a small inkling as to why. "…When would you say is too young?" She shifted over and patted the concrete next to her , moving her ebony hair to the side and peering closely at her son.

"Why do you ask? Varian, is something wrong?" Varian shook his head too quickly, meaning she was right, but she wouldn't poke too much or he'd just run, it was her son's way of coping with stressful situations. "No, nothing's wrong, I was just thinking, that's all. Forget I ever asked." Taria's expression told him she was going to do anything but, and after a good minute of his mother staring at him, he sighed loudly, running his hands down his face.

"It's about Val." Taria's face softened. "What about her?" Varian's eyes glazed a little and his mouth hung open in one of the most dopey grins she'd ever seen in her life. It was extremely adorable, watching her normally hard as steel son turn to a puddle of romance like this, with his cheeks turning a shade of pink and his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "I…I really love her mother. Enough that it scares me a little...And I was talking with Arthas and he reckons the next step from where we are is marriage…"

Taria's smile crept onto her face and her brown eyes lit up. "Are you going to ask her?" Varian shrugged, shrinking again. "I don't know whether I want to or not. What if she says no and it ends up ruining everything?" Taria's brows drew in. "Do you think she'll say no?" Varian's knee started to bounce, showing her exactly how he felt about the whole idea. "Do you want to marry her Varian? Don't do it just because someone told you it's what happens next."

He nodded with a certainty she'd very rarely seen from her son as he stared at the floor. "I never thought I would, I thought I would want to explore, do things away from Stormwind…but now I can't imagine doing any of them without her by my side." He looked up, swallowing hard. "She's even in my dreams now, it's slightly maddening. Every second of every day I go about my day and think how much more enjoyable they'd be if she were with me. Is that what's happening? Am I going mad?" Taria's laugh did nothing to sate his nervousness, nor did the pat on his knee.

"No, of course not! Love is a very unpredictable thing Varian, you never know how it will make you feel from day to day." Her smile turned into a frown and his stomach started to knot again. "But you have to remember Varian…she's quite younger than you, she might not want the same things just yet." He looked absolutely heartbroken and she berated herself for it.

"So you don't think I should do it." Taria took a minute to think about her answer, picking leaves from her skirt. "I can't tell you definitely whether you should or shouldn't Varian, it's not my place. Do I think you're too young? Maybe, but when the heart wants something, who's to argue with it?" His brow furrowed. "Now you're just confusing me." She laughed again, putting her arm around his shoulders and drawing him in whether he wanted her to or not.

"Just do what you believe to be right Varian. You'll have my support regardless of what ends up taking place." And there was his grin. "Really?" She nodded, letting him straighten. "Yes, but promise me you'll at least give it another day's thought. Marriage is a lifelong bond Varian, you can't just promise it on a whim." There was a weight lifted from his shoulders, she could tell. "Oh trust me, it's all I've been thinking about. I just hope she doesn't run away in fear." Taria quietly chuckled, standing back up and resuming her task.

"Oh I highly doubt that will happen." And as if she knew she were being talked about, Valerica Glenmore, the fifteen year old girl that had stolen her son's heart stood at the end of the pathway waving like a madwoman. "Varian! Hurry up, Papa said I only have till ten!" Taria watched her son smile more genuinely than she had ever known him to as he stood, kissing her cheek. "Tell Bess I'll be back late." Another chuckle as she carried on twisting and weaving. "Don't I always? Go on, off with you. And take heed of what I said."

She looked behind him at the ever patient smithy. "Maybe slip the idea into conversation first, learn her feelings on it?" Varian flashed her another grin. "I knew I could count on you to help Mama. See you later." She waved him off, watching as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, took Val's hand and kissed it, rushing off and reminding her very much of herself and Llane at that age. She knew Varian would do things properly, that was how she'd raised him, and looked up, smiling at nothing in particular and merrily carrying on her task, finding that the term "mother-in-law" had quite the ring to it.


End file.
